Jordan Trivia

1. The capital of Jordan is named after what ancient people?

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Ammonites

Amman is the capital of Jordan. The area was their capital since the 13th century. They were a tribe of people that emerged from the Syrio-Arabian desert in 2 BCE and are mentioned in the Bible as 'Benei Ammon' ('Children of Ammon'). The city was originally named 'Rabbath Ammon' but over time the 'Rabbath' which meant 'King's Quarters' or 'capital' was not included. As different groups of people conquered and lived in the city, the name was gradually adapted to 'Amman.'

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: an early ancestor of the ruling family

The Hashemite kings of Jordan trace their ancestry in a direct line to Muhammad, the most important prophet of the Islamic religion. The prophet Muhammad's great grandfather was Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf, and it is from him the Hashemite family take their name. Hashem in Arabic means pulveriser. This referred to the patriarch's habit of serving crumbled or pulverised bread broth to pilgrims, rather than to any violent or warlike tendencies.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Irbid

Irbid is capital of the Irbid Governorate. Jordan is divided into three regions, then into 12 governorates. Irbid has had a human population since at least the Bronze Age. During the Hellenistic period (the period between the death of Alexander the Great and the birth of the Roman Empire) Irbid was known as 'Arabella' and was a major hub for trade. Before Islam was introduced to the area, Irbid was known for being one of the best producers of wine in ancient times. After the Islamic conquests, the city became known as 'Irbid' and became much more known for its olive oil production as alcohol consumption is against Islamic beliefs.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Jabal Umm ad Dami

Jabal Umm ad Dami is just over 6,000 feet high and located in Wadi Rum, or the Valley of the Moon. It is the largest valley or 'wadi' in Jordan. The mountain is close to Jordan's border with Saudi Arabia.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: Transjordan

Transjordan was the eastern part of the British Mandate of Palestine, established after World War I. The western section of the Mandate was called Palestine, and comprises the area of modern day Israel and Palestine. The present day independent Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was established in 1946, at first being called The Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, and shortened to The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1950.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Aqaba

Aqaba is the southernmost city of Jordan. The city's location at the northern tip of the Red Sea between Africa and Asia, has made this an important port city for thousands of years. Jordan has very little coastline. The coastline that the country has on the Gulf of Aqaba is only 16 miles long.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: Great Britain and Pakistan

Most Arab states were opposed to the creation of the state of Israel, and the country was invaded in May 1948. An armistice agreement came into force on 3rd April, 1949, which gave control of the West Bank to Transjordan. Soon after this agreement, Transjordan changed its name to Jordan. Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, the West Bank was re-occupied by Israel.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Jerash

When Jerash was called 'Gerasa' Greek goddess Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo and goddess of hunting, was the goddess of this city. The temple for her was built at the highest point of the city. Construction began in 2AD but it was never finished, having only 12 out of the 32 planned columns constructed. Beneath the temple is a large expanse of underground vaults, the purpose of which is yet to be understood.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: Lawrence of Arabia

Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence was devoted to the cause of Arab independence, and lived and dressed as an Arab during his raids on Turkish forces and installations in the Middle East. In Jordan, he based himself mainly in Wadi Rum, an area of spectacular rock and desert formations, where concealment was relatively easy. His auto-biography, entitled 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom' was named after one of the large rock formations in Wadi Rum.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo is around 2,330 feet high. It is a ridge of the Mount Abraim Mountain Range. The cities of Jericho and Jerusalem are usually visible on a clear day from the summit of Mount Nebo. The last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy states that Moses climbed Mount Nebo to view the Promised Land, which God told him he would not enter but instead leave for his descendants. Moses then died on Mount Nebo.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: The Rose City

Petra's nickname comes from the deep colours of the rock from which the city's many monuments are carved. The Victorian traveller and poet, Dean Burgon, described the city in his poem 'Petra', with the closing lines 'Match me such a marvel, save in Eastern clime, A rose-red city half as old as time'.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: No major life forms can survive in it.

Only small amounts of specialised bacteria can survive the high salinity levels of the Dead Sea, although at times of heavy rainfall and flooding, red algae has quickly formed for short periods. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres long, and has a maximum width of about 18 kilometres, and its salinity is about nine times that of the oceans. Its surface is about 418 metres below sea level, and its shores are the lowest land points on Earth.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Black iris

The scientic name for the black iris is 'iris nigricans.' This flower blooms in spring and has a short season. Nine types of known iris grow in Jordan. They are all becoming more and more rare due to human interactions.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: The Dead Sea

The River Jordan is initially formed by three tributary rivers, the Hasbani, the Banias, and the Dan. It flows through the freshwater Sea of Galilee, and forms part of the border between Jordan and Israel, before ending in the Dead Sea. Much of the area through which the Jordan flows is arid desert, and the river is the most important source of fresh water to several countries, including Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Saudi Arabia

The Jordan-Saudi Arabia border is around 455 miles long, running from the south-west from the Gulf of Aqaba, to proceed north-east to the tripoint with Iraq. There are some Saudi Arabian cities and towns located near the border with Jordan; for example, the Saudi city of Qurayyat (known for its large market, salt and olives) is around 20 miles away from the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Jebel al-Madhbah

Jebel al-Madhbah is located about the historic city of Petra. It is around 3,500 feet high and there is also a staircase cut from rock to reach the altar at the top. Some historians have suggested Jebel al-Madhbah as a candidate for being the Biblical mountain, Mount Sinai.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: the first seven verses of the Koran

The national flag of Jordan shows equally spaced, horizontal bands of black, white, and green, with a red triangle at the hoist. In the centre of the red triangle, there is a seven point white star, the points representing the seven opening verses of the Koran.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Lisan Peninsula

The Dead Sea separates Israel from Jordan. The Lisan Peninsula gets its name from the Arabic word for 'tongue.' The peninsula separates the north part of the Dead Sea from its more shallow southern section. The northernmost tip of the Lisan Peninsula is called Cape Costigan. It is named after Christopher Costigan, an Irish explorer and priest who made the mistake of drinking the water of the Dead Sea, whilst stranded and lost in it. The high salinity exacerbated his illness, fever and dehydration. The south-western tip of the peninsula is called Cape Molyneux after Thomas Howard Molyneux, a British Royal Navy officer who also died stranded on the Dead Sea.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: Amman

Oman is a country situated on the Arabian Sea, to the south east of Saudi Arabia. Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, and Damascus is the capital of Syria. Amman is an ancient city, inhabited by the Ammonites and called Rabbath-Ammon in old Testament times. It was conquered by king David of Israel in the 11th century B.C. and regained independence under his son Solomon.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: The Humane King

Hussein bin Talal acceded to the throne of Jordan on his eighteenth birthday in 1953, having been proclaimed king in August 1952. King Hussein ruled Jordan for almost forty seven years, and introduced many reforms. He was a popular king, and a respected elder statesman throughout the world, who worked tirelessly for Arab reconciliation and Middle East peace. He died in 1999 aged sixty three, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah bin Al-Hussein.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Amman

Arab Bank was founded in 1930 in Jerusalem. According to the bank's website it accounts for 25% of Amman's stock exchange.

From Quiz Asia: All about Jordan

Answer: Israel

With encouragement by the U.S.A and the Soviet Union, Jordan signed the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace in 1994. Egypt signed their peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

From Quiz The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Answer: Philadelphia

The Greek ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy Philadelphus, renamed the city 'Philadelphia' in circa 218 B.C. The city has changed hands many times in its long history, being occupied by the Ammonites, Israelites, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Nabateans, and Romans in ancient times, and by Turks and British more recently.

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